Spring is in full swing. This month we enjoyed an incredible spring break at Doheny Beach with our friends for a week of beach camping—spring edition. Funny to think there was a time I didn’t enjoy beach camping… now it’s our family’s favorite vacation. We loved spending time with the Matters and Judds, and other friends who came up for the day. Watching the boys fish, the girls learn how to surf, playing Nertz at all hours, gobbling up Nikki’s most delicious cinnamon pancakes and special syrup, and relaxing by the waves with a good book—definitely a highlight of the month.
During spring break, we also enjoyed a beautiful Easter Sunday watching conference, along with a big breakfast of cinnamon rolls and Swiss pie. Apparently kids are not too old for Easter baskets—they still had a lot of fun with their treats! We loved helping Grandma bead bracelets for a Relief Society function she was in charge of. We were able to rope in not only Anna and Kenzie, but Dane, Grant, and Anna’s boyfriend Beau for the task. It turned into such a fun day, and I especially loved watching the kids serve Grandma for once, seeing as she does so much for us all the time.
Also of note this month: celebrating April Fool’s Day. Need I say more? It’s my favorite, and I never tire of coming up with ways to torture the kids. Our dummy man came in handy—I set him on the ground in the kitchen and in various other places, and it about scared the kids out of their minds. I also had scary canvas posters outside their windows, fake ants, clear packing tape across bedroom doors, a mysteriously missing silverware tray, and a big fake spider and fake shattered glass sticker on Grant’s truck. Best day ever.
This month my PEERS program officially started. It was stressful committing to the group and working through all the admin details, but once the course actually began, it was truly wonderful. It felt so good to be part of something I care deeply about—helping kids and teens build social skills and confidence.
In YW news: We put on SUCH A fun missionary night for the youth of our church-- each teen received a mission call and then we were split into groups of four to go teach a message and have dinner with a member of the ward who had also gone to that same place for their mission! The food was to represent the culture and the kids were able to hear all about the mission. It was a special night and everyone enjoyed it so much. I also taught a little Conversations 101 on April Fool's day for the youth before they began an evening of speed dating ! Elizabeth created the most amazing sugar cookie french fries with frosting ketchup. SO cute.
On to more highlights—Ev has been home for spring break and it’s been a true joy. She is working so hard at school, so it’s been really nice to have her here to rest for a bit before she begins her capstone in the PACU at the hospital. So proud of her. Bonus: Cody is flying down next week to drive back with her, so we are all really looking forward to having him here too. While she’s been home, Ev has soaked it all in—time with friends, two trips to Disneyland, lots of country swing and line dancing, a Michael Jackson movie night, and plenty of shopping trips with Anna. It’s been SO fun.
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And speaking of Disneyland, Grandma took the entire family for our Christmas present this month, and it was the perfect day—not too crowded, ideal weather, great conversations, and just an all-around fun, memory-filled day with Grandma and Stacy.
We celebrated Anna’s birthday this month and… wow, did we celebrate. It was a LOT—but what else do you do when you’re celebrating your very own hype girl? The biggest party girl on earth! We surprised her with a Gossip Girl theme since she had just finished the show and loved it. We took her five best friends to Encinitas for beach pictures and a sleepover at Blake’s condo, then got up early the next morning for a full day at Universal Studios. It was seriously the best—she was so happy and so grateful, and I was just glad I managed to meet her very high standards and expectations. Girl keeps me on my toes.
I loved reading the sweet, thoughtful cards her friends (and Beau) wrote her, and I especially loved helping her create a wall gallery of her favorite music, shows, and places as an early birthday gift. I adore Anna —even when she’s deep in that know-it-all, slightly cranky teenage phase I remember so well from the older kids. This too shall pass.
As for the boys, they are plugging away, finishing up the semester. Dane just wrote a seven-page paper on happiness for his English class, which was so fun to read—he really is an excellent student, and I love getting a glimpse into how he thinks through his writing. Grant is gearing up for his AP test and is absolutely crushing a tough semester with Chem, AP classes, and 3B math. And somehow, he’s still making time for all the things he loves—fishing, surfing, spearfishing, kayaking (while fishing, of course), and then coming home to grill up whatever he caught or make smash burgers with friends. Grant’s life makes me smile.
Rounding out the month, Blake and I traveled to Utah for Ella Rustand’s wedding. It was such a special time being with the Rustands and watching Ella on one of the happiest days of her life. It was also so fun to see the whole Rustand crew and catch up with old friends from our college days. And it was nice for Blake and me to have some time together as well.
All in all, aside from Coco’s unfortunate fishing hook incident (she discovered Grant’s baited hook the hard way and ended up with it caught in her shoulder, paw, and cheek—yikes), it was about as full and happy a month as we could ask for. Thankfully, after a trip to the vet and a few stitches, Coco is back to her old self—good as new. And we're on to the last month of the school year!
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